Zipped-in underarm gusset



1948. w. T. PREVIDI 2,447,939

Z IPPED- IN UNDERARM GUSSET Filed Jan. 15, 1947 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 24, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,447,989

ZIPPED-IN UNDERARM GUSSET William T. Previdi, Allendale, N. J. Application January 15, 1947, Serial No. 722,163

1 Claim.

This invention relates to garments such as sport shirts, work clothes, and the like, and'more particularly to the construction of the same between a limb and body part as within the armpits. i

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sport shirt,fiiers air suit, a piece of work clothing or the like, with an armpit gusset so associated and combined with the remainder of the garment that great'freedom of movement will be allowed to the wearer without any likelihood of tearing, ripping or other damage or injury to the cloth beneath and adjacent the armpits or elsewhere on the garment as a consequence ofoveractivity by the wearerm It is another object of the'invention to provide an underarm gusset construction which may be zipped in by a zipper running along under the arm at times when the garment is to be worn under other clothing and when there is no anticipation that athletic or other added activity requiring unusual freedom of movement will be indulged in.

A further object of the invention is to provide, as a new and valuable article of manufacture, a garment readily convertible in structure, so far as engagement or disengagement and relative disposition of certain of its parts are concerned, at any portion or portions of the garment required or desirable for simple and practical transformation of the garment from one of the sportswear type to one of another type, and vice versa.

According to the present invention, as exemplified herein to constitute a mans shirt, a gusset element is formed for connection with and variable adjustment relative to the body of the garment; such connection being around the upper arm below the latter and from the front to the rear of the garment, with an upper attaching edge on the main body of the garment, and with a bottom attaching edge on the sleeve, whereby considerable expansion of material may be had underneath the armpit of the wearer at times when exceptionally great freedom of movement is desired. Zipper sections are stitched respectively along attaching edges of the gusset matchable with the edges of the main body of the garment and of the sleeve, whereby, when desired, the underneath portion of the sleeve can be drawn into the garment body in a manner such that the garment will then be given the customary appearance without excessive looseness being had in and adjacent the upper part of the sleeve at times when the wearer is-to be relatively inactive or wear an overgarment.

For further comprehension of the invention, and fuller appreciation of the objects, features and advantages thereof, reference will be 'had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claim in -which the various novel features ofthe invention are more particularly set-forth. 1 r r In the accompanying drawing forming amaterial part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a garment pursuant to the invention, here embodied as a mans shirt; this view showing the garment with the zippers underthe arms applied in a manner to efiec'tuate concealment of the gusset at suitable times, so that the garment is then worn. in perfect comfort although now appearing as it should, that is, to present the appearance of an ordinarily more or less formal wear garment, when little or no unusual activity is expected to be exercised by the wearer.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of said garment, with the "zippers drawn up as and for the purposes just above mentioned.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the garment, showing particularly the arrangement between the main body of the garment and an adjacent sleeve, and also showing more clearly that the direction of drawing up of the m'ppers is, as is now preferred, from the rear to the front of the garment; this view further showing, by broken-line delineation, the crease or fold exhibiting itself along the length of the gusset when the latter is concealed by being completely housed in collapsed condition within the garment, as for more or less formal wear of the latter.

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary front elevational view of the same garment but now with the zipper opened and consequently with the gusset freed to expand and so permit greater freedom of movement of the sleeve relative to the garment body.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the gusset removed from its connection with the garment.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line B--6 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in particular detail, I!) represents a garment in the form of a mans shirt, and comprising a main body part II having a front opening I! and a collar l3, right and left sleeves I l and i5 connected directly to the main body of the garment at the upper shoulder, as indicated at l6 and I1. The curvilinearly cut lower back and lower front and armpit-underlying portions of the garment are connected at times when great freedom of movement is wanted of the garment, by a gusset l8 foldable along a line H! (Fig. This gusset, having curvilinear sides, tapers oil at its ends, as indicated at 2|, so that after its marginal portions have been connected to the main body of the garment and the sleeve, there is little play around the shou-ders near the top of the latter as compared to the play which is permitted by the gusset including, and hence wide, portion of the garment adjacent thearmpit.

Along the periphery 23 of the gusset and where it is connected with the garment body and "with the sleeve, there is respectively sewed into place with the sleeve and with the gusset a zipper section 24, and into place with the main body of the garment and with the gusset a divided zipper section 25. At times, when great freedom-of movement is not wanted or needed under the s-armpit, azi-pper slide 26 is .drawnfrom the rear of the-garment around and under the armpit and to the front thereof, thereby closing in the gusset and causing it to fold along substantiallyits longitudinal oenterline. Such line may be predisposed to constitute a self-creating line of fold by arranging along said line, preferably before thegusset is iconnectedw-ith the sleeve and with the main body of the garment, a length of elasticv applied in the form of stitches. While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the ,precise'constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

An upper garment having a body part and arm enclosing sleeves on the opposite sides thereof, each sleeve having a fixed connection with the side of the body part and an underarm gusset approximately 'oval in shape secured at its outer edges tothe body part and the sleeve and providing a flexible joint under the sleeve for the same, a row of slide fastener hooks secured to the one outer edge of the gusset, a row of mating slide fastener hooks secured to the other outer edge :of the gusset, and a slide fastener closure engaged with hooks of both rows to couple and uncouple the rows of hooks, the gusset having a fold Jine midway of its outer edges, and the slide fastener connecting each sleeve to said body part .so that the sleeve have a limited upward and outward movement when the rows of hooks are fully coupled on each other and allowing said gusset to increase said freedom of movement when said hooks are fully uncoupled on each other. 7 v

WELIJAM T. PREVIDI.

REFERENCES The following meferences "are 0f record in the file of this patent":

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,073,711 Robin'soh-n Mar. 116, 1937 2,264,958 Smith Dec. 2., 1941 2,407,383 Previdi Sept, 1-0., 1946 

